More than 90 young students have taken the leap from completing their studies to kicking off their careers through the national Globeleq South Africa internship programme, created to develop young technical staff for a renewable energy industry in 2015.
One of this year’s cohorts, S’nenhlanhla Phakathi, a Bachelor of Social Science in Geography and Environmental Science graduate, is working as part of the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm team as an HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) intern.
This internship programme, which aligns to government’s National Development Plan (NDP), furthermore reflects the demographics of South Africa with over 80 percent black youth, and 40 percent women youth, with the explicit intention of seeing more women working in the industry.
Describing herself as a very curious individual that enjoys learning new things, Phakathi says renewable energy is one of the industries that she has a particular interest in, as it has a critical role to play in addressing the country’s energy crisis. Her aim is to learn more about the HSE profession, whilst playing her part in the advancement of the renewable energy sector and sharpening her teamwork skills.
As she joins her team in celebrating Women’s Month, it is befitting that she views her mother as her greatest supporter and champion, motivating her to fulfil her education ambitions.
“Working in this field has instilled within me a sense of confidence and self-assurance; it also provides an opportunity to demonstrate that women can thrive in fields traditionally dominated by men. Additionally, I am grateful that my experiences can serve as motivation for other young women aspiring to pursue careers in this field,” said Phakathi.
